Chapter 27: The Gathering(2)
Chapter 27: The Gathering(2)
Just as Lina had mentioned, the Academy posted an announcement regarding the scheduled freshman gathering. Since they had plastered the notice on the hallway bulletin boards like a public manifesto, I was certain no student could have missed it. I read through the notice myself, quickly confirming the detailed schedule and location.
The gathering was set for next Saturday in the Grand Hall, the same place where the entrance ceremony had been held. Attendance was optional, but given the pressure Lina had put on me, I figured it would be in my best interest to go.
"What? You're actually going to the freshman gathering?"
"Yeah."
Time passed, and the weekend arrived.
After finishing my light workout and writing for the day, I headed to the training hall to meet Nicole. She looked like she had just finished a sparring session, her entire body drenched in sweat.
As she wiped the perspiration from her face with a towel, Nicole asked in a voice tinged with disbelief.
"So sudden? I thought you hated that kind of stuff."
"Things just kind of worked out that way."
"...Kind of worked out?"
Nicole’s voice turned cold for a split second. At the same time, her golden eyes, visible through the gaps in the towel covering her face, grew sharp. As a sister with an overwhelming amount of affection for her youngest brother, she seemed to have sensed that something had happened.
Seeing that chilling gaze, I hurriedly spoke up. It felt a bit tragic that I had to be so careful with my words even around my own sister.
"It—it’s nothing for you to worry about, Sis. I’m just going out of curiosity."
Nicole didn't seem to fully believe my lie, but she let it slide.
"...Fine then. Is the gathering why you came to see me? To ask about it?"
"Yeah."
"Hmm... the gathering..."
Nicole began to think deeply while absentmindedly wiping the sweat from her face. I waited for her to speak.
"Hey there~"
"Huh?"
While I was standing there waiting, a familiar voice reached my ears. It was a husky, boyish tone.
Turning my head, I saw Nicole’s friend, Adelia, walking toward us from a distance. She, too, looked like she had just finished training, with sweat pouring off her like rain.
"What are you guys talking about? Let me in on it."
"Ack."
As soon as she reached us, Adelia wrapped an arm around my neck in a friendly gesture. I was beyond flustered by the sudden physical contact; I was utterly disconcerted.
Part of it was the skinship itself, but the real issue was Adelia’s attire. She was currently wearing what one would call a sleeveless tank top.
Not only could I feel the texture of her soft skin, but the faint scent of her body mixed with sweat stimulated my sense of smell. For someone like me, who had zero contact with the opposite sex outside of my family, it was incredibly provocative.
Even in my past life, I had lived in isolation due to the shock of my parents' death, which made this situation all the more distressing.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing? Get away from my brother right now!"
Nicole, seemingly caught off guard by Adelia’s boldness, shouted and hurriedly pulled her away from me. Thanks to her, my neck was freed from Adelia’s arm, but I couldn't stop my face from flushing.
Despite Nicole’s aggressive reaction, Adelia just chuckled and played it off.
"What, you think I’m gonna do something untoward to your brother? Don't worry. He’s cute, but he’s not my type."
"Shut it. In my eyes, you’re just a dangerous element. Don't tell me you've already forgotten about the time you threw that ball at Isaac?"
"...That was a genuine mistake. I'm really sorry about that."
When Nicole brought up the incident from two weeks ago, Adelia immediately apologized, having no defense.
As Nicole continued to glare at her with a fierce gaze, Adelia, feeling a bit awkward, quickly changed the subject.
"Anyway, what were you talking about? I was curious, so I came over."
"...It’s nothing much. Isaac decided to attend the freshman gathering."
"The freshman gathering?"
Adelia’s eyes widened as she turned her gaze toward me. Her light blue eyes were filled with deep interest.
"The freshman gathering... that brings back memories. It was really fun back then."
"Maybe for you. It was the worst for me."
It seemed both Nicole and Adelia had attended the gathering in their time.
While Adelia was smiling as if she’d enjoyed it, Nicole looked like she was disgusted just thinking about it. Their reactions were polar opposites.
"Anyway, the gathering has a lot in common with a social circle, but it’s not exactly the same. Freshmen and seniors just get together to laugh, chat, and hang out. It’ll probably be more fun than you think, Isaac."
"Is that all? There aren't any political discussions like at a social gathering or a ball?"
"What would kids like you know about politics? It’s literally just a meeting to build friendships."
"Hmm..."
I wondered if Nicole knew. That it wasn't just anyone, but Lina—the Imperial Princess with deep political ties—who had coaxed me into going. However, I decided not to mention it, as it would only cause unnecessary worry.
I listened quietly to Nicole’s explanation and then started asking various questions.
"Are only freshmen attending?"
"Aside from a few seniors and the teaching assistants, it’ll be mostly freshmen."
"What should I wear? It wasn't mentioned in the notice."
"You could wear your school uniform, but it’s better to dress up a bit. They say clothes make the man, right?"
"That might be fine for us nobles, but what about the commoners?"
"Clothing prices around here are actually quite cheap. Plus, Halo Academy provides scholarships to commoners."
Nicole answered each of my questions diligently before clapping her hands as if a great idea had just struck her.
"Right! This is the perfect chance to buy Isaac some clothes. Since we just finished sparring, the timing is great."
"I brought some clothes from home."
"You’re going to wear those? Absolutely not. Your big sister is going to style you for once, so just follow me quietly."
It felt like the day had suddenly turned into a shopping trip. Still, it wasn't a bad idea; since I had spent most of my time cooped up at home, Nicole definitely had a better sense of fashion than I did.
Nicole looked excited at the prospect of shopping.
"Wait here until I’m done showering. I’ll be quick."
"Okay."
"Adel, you want to come too?"
"I’ll pass. I just want to sleep right now."
With that, Nicole and Adelia headed off to wash up. I watched them walk down the dark corridor before sitting down on the ground. The cool sensation of the stone floor seeped through my seat.
While waiting, I pondered how the gathering would unfold.
Is it like a freshman orientation?
Even if it was an orientation, it likely wouldn't involve talent shows like universities in my past life. Entertainment culture wasn't very developed here, and such things might even be considered vulgar.
Most likely, a host would lead the beginning, followed by free time. They might even invite musicians to play instruments to liven up the atmosphere.
Although I was attending somewhat against my will because of Lina, I found myself feeling a bit of anticipation. Perhaps it could help broaden my incredibly narrow social circle, even if just a little?
Come to think of it, almost everyone I know is a woman.
Cecile, Mari, Lina, Cindy, Adelia.
These five were the people I had formed connections with since entering the Academy and with whom I maintained decent relationships. It wasn't even that I had approached them; they were the ones who had approached me first.
In my past life, I had lived almost entirely cut off from the world after my parents passed away, and that hadn't changed much after my reincarnation. My current parents worried about my personality, but I was living well enough.
Looking at it this way, maybe there really is something wrong with my personality...
I was the type to have a few deep friendships rather than many shallow ones. I also preferred for others to approach me first rather than reaching out myself.
I lacked the courage to approach strangers, and I didn't possess the kind of social butterfly energy that could make a friend in seconds. Honestly, I was grateful to those who had reached out to me.
Even if they made things difficult for me sometimes, I could overlook it—as long as it didn't involve anything related to the Xenon Biography.
"Isaac?"
"Yeah?"
"Why are you spacing out? Let’s go."
While I was lost in thought, Nicole had returned, already changed into fresh clothes. I stood up at her call.
"Did Adelia go back already?"
"Yeah. She said she wanted to come, but she was too tired, so she went to her room. By the way, since when did you start calling her 'Adel'?"
"She told me to call her that. We talked for a bit while you were out sparring."
"Hmm... really? She didn't say anything weird, did she?"
"Not really. Other than pinching my cheeks and asking what my ideal type is?"
"That bitch..."
Maybe I shouldn't have said that. I couldn't help but feel uneasy seeing Nicole’s expression twist like a demon's.
"Whew... never mind. I’ll deal with that later. Isaac, do you have a specific outfit in mind?"
"Maybe a formal suit?"
"A suit..."
Nicole looked me up and down at my answer. She nodded, seemingly getting the gist of what I wanted.
"Since you're on the slim side, a suit would definitely suit you best. Something simple and not too flashy?"
"Yeah."
"Hmm... but it would be good to have a pattern on the scarf. And let’s pick a suit color that matches your hair."
"Red? Wouldn't that stand out too much?"
My hair was already red—specifically, a vivid crimson—so I stood out even from a distance. Not to mention my golden eyes that glowed like a predator's; once someone met me, they could never forget me.
Despite my hesitant question, Nicole wagged her index finger and spoke.
"You’re mistaken about something, Isaac. Even without the clothes, you stand out everywhere just because of your red hair."
"..."
"Even Dave was known for his red hair before he became famous for his skills. People who didn't even know his name knew about 'the guy with the red hair.'"
I had no rebuttal for that. As I’d thought before, red hair seemed to be incredibly rare in this world, almost non-existent.
"Speaking of which, do you know what our brother is up to?"
"Who knows? I sent him a letter, but he’s probably still training. I don't know the details either."
"Are you planning to join the Navy Knights too, Sis?"
"I’d like to if possible, but the Navy Knights aren't just some neighborhood club; you can't just walk in. The competition is 100 to 1, and many people transfer elsewhere because it’s so grueling."
Hearing that gave me a better sense of how strong our father really was. He wasn't just a regular member; he had risen to the rank of Knight Commander, meaning the Minerva Empire must have treated him like a tactical weapon.
Furthermore, the Navy Knights fought non-humans more often than humans. While things were quiet lately, in the past, they frequently clashed with Beastkin crossing the borders, and they had even fought Elves.
I was having the silly thought that my father might be one of those "hidden masters" from fantasy novels when I moved on to another question.
"You attended the freshman gathering too, right?"
"Yeah."
"Did you wear a dress?"
"It was the first time in my life I ever wore a dress."
"Did anything happen back then?"
It felt a bit awkward for me to say this as her brother, but Nicole was very beautiful, having inherited our mother’s looks. On top of that, thanks to the constant training under our father since she was young, she had a very fit and healthy physique.
A beauty like her attending a gathering in a dress? She must have been the center of attention and likely received countless advances from men.
My prediction was spot on.
"...I don't have very good memories of it. Men kept swarming around me, so I couldn't even enjoy myself. I never went to another gathering after that."
Nicole’s expression darkened slightly. Her voice was full of annoyance and regret.
"Ah. I figured. Anything else?"
"I’m not telling you, so just worry about yourself."
"Got it."
I immediately stopped, knowing it would be troublesome to provoke her further. Besides, the struggles of a beauty like Nicole were something I, as a man, couldn't truly understand.
Once I stopped questioning her, Nicole gave a mischievous smile and asked slyly.
"Why? Do you want to see your sister in a dress, Isaac?"
"No. Not at all. I think it would just hurt my eyes."
"Hahaha. My little brother sure is a joker, isn't he?"
"Ow!"
My cheek ended up getting pinched. She probably thought she was being gentle, but her natural grip strength was terrifying, so it hurt quite a bit.
Anyway, leaving our sibling banter behind, we soon arrived at a clothing store. Being located in the Halo Academy commercial district, it was quite large in scale.
"Welcome. How can I help you today?"
As we entered, a clerk greeted us with a professional smile. I hesitated slightly, being new to such stores, but Nicole handled it expertly.
"We’re looking for a men’s formal suit. Where should we go?"
"Certainly. The men’s formal wear section is right this way."
"Thank you. Let’s go."
"Okay."
Looking around as we walked, we reached the men’s formal wear section. True to its name, a wide variety of suits were on display.
I felt a bit out of place, as it reminded me of a department store, but I brushed it off, telling myself it was just fantasy. There was no point in trying to apply common sense from my past life.
"Ugh... this one’s no good either. Don't you have anything else?"
"Um... customer. I’m very sorry, but this is the last one."
"What? Are you kidding me? This is all you have?"
As we entered the section, it seemed there was already a customer there. But the situation seemed a bit strange.
"We have more clothes than this at our mansion! How can you say this is all you have?"
"I apologize. But these are all the clothes we have in our shop."
"Is 'sorry' all you can say? You should find a way to get more!"
A man, presumably the customer, was throwing a massive tantrum, while a female clerk looked like she didn't know what to do.
Nicole and I headed toward the source of the noise to see what was happening. We needed a clerk’s help to get a suit anyway.
When we arrived at the scene of the commotion, my eyes widened.
That guy...
Three people were standing in front of a full-length mirror. The man who had been shouting, the flustered female clerk next to him, and finally, another man standing a bit further away with clothes draped over his arm.
The shouting man was wearing an incredibly flashy suit. Even to me, a complete novice in this world’s fashion, it looked like it cost a fortune.
However, the man’s appearance was more striking than his clothes. He was fairly handsome, but his face was so twisted with rage that it ruined his looks entirely.
"Dammit... maybe I should have just brought something from the mansion. I thought Halo Academy would have decent stuff, but I was wrong."
"..."
"...Huh?"
The man, who had been muttering in frustration, seemed to feel our gaze and looked over.
When our eyes met, his widened, and a look of slight surprise crossed his face.
"You..."
"..."
The man in the flashy suit was Jackson. He was the son of a Count who had tried to hit on Cecile and Lina on the first day, only to be soundly rejected.
He was also someone who held a grudge against me because I received attention from Cecile and Lina. I could tell as much from the way he glared at me whenever we shared a class.
Not that I cared. I was far too busy to worry about someone like him.
Anyway—in the sudden silence, I pondered what to say before quietly opening my mouth.
"Hello."
"..."
At my blunt greeting, Jackson’s face contorted violently.